(PR.co.nz) Imagine a mountain bike ride easy enough for novices, challenging enough for experienced cyclists, with breathtaking views and scenery, and an exciting jet boat ride thrown in for good measure. All accessible from Queenstown via an easy, scenic drive. That’s exactly what’s offered by NOT a Rail Trail, a Queenstown company offering one-day adventures from Queenstown to the Roxburgh Gorge.

The Roxburgh Gorge is stunning, with steep sides, amazing rock formations, breathtaking views and the contrasting colours of Otago rock against the magnificent blue of the mighty Clutha River. Everywhere you look there are postcard quality photo opportunities.

This trip was designed with a specific customer in mind. Queenstown offers plenty of variety for experienced cyclists on challenging terrain, but the options for cyclists who want to enjoy the scenery as much as the biking, are actually quite limited. By combining a grade 2+ trail with a jet boat ride and amazing scenery, anyone who’s confident on a bike and has average fitness will thoroughly enjoy this experience. In their first group on this tour, for a gentleman’s 60th birthday, the riders ranged from the youngest at 19 to the oldest 66 and everyone gave amazing feedback having thoroughly enjoyed it. The combination of cycling and jet boating through the scenic gorge really works.

The Roxburgh Gorge Trail is part of the ‘Nga Haerenga – The New Zealand Cycle Trail’, a partnership project between the Government and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. It offers a wide, well maintained firm gravel surface published at grade 2+, mostly flat with some gentle climbs, wide enough for 2 people to cycle side by side. There are some sections where cyclists will have to ride single file and there are some steep drops down to the river below, so it is more suitable for cyclists with some experience. NOT a Rail Trail will not be taking anyone under 16 years old on their tours.

The Roxburgh Gorge Cycle Tours will run daily from Queenstown and include pick ups and drops off from the customer’s accommodation, return transfers to the trail, a Fergbaker lunch, bike hire of 29er mountain bikes with comfy gel seats and the jet boat ride through the centre of the gorge.

All in all, the ultimate Queenstown Bike n Jet boat combo!

“I believe the Roxburgh Gorge Trail is the best one day Cycle Trail in New Zealand. It seems to have something for everyone.”
Sara Leadbetter, General Manager

The owners of ‘NOT a Rail Trail’, Sara Leadbetter and Vernon Reid have been working together for over 8 years running mountain bike tours in the Mackenzie District around Twizel and Mt Cook. When the new government funded cycle trails opened, they included the new Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail and ran the first official Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail tour in Dec 2012 for a lady’s 60th birthday.

They relocated 2 years ago and are now running all their Cycle Trail Tours from Queenstown. “We picked the name as we operate on Cycle Trails, not Rail Trails (like the Otago Rail Trail) so the name, although tongue in cheek, is actually pretty accurate for what we do”.

NOT a Rail Trail launch their Roxburgh Gorge Cycle Trail Tours on Friday the 7th February. Check out www.notarailtrail.co.nz or call 0800 4 CYCLE for more information.